Credits: Sjoerd Hilckmann / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0.
Prince Harry celebrated his 40th birthday on Sunday, September 15, surrounded by his wife Meghan and their two children in California. The surprise, however, did not come from his immediate family. It came from the British royal family, with whom relations have been strained for several years. For the first time since 2021, King Charles III publicly sent birthday wishes to Harry. Prince William also made the same gesture.
The last time the royal family had acknowledged Harry’s birthday was in 2021. That was before tensions escalated because of several shocking revelations by the couple. That year, Harry and Meghan, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, criticized the behavior of certain members of the royal family, notably regarding the skin color of their son Archie. That interview marked a turning point in already fragile family relations.
On Sunday, the royal family’s official account published a brief message. "We wish the Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!", it read, accompanied by a photo of the prince smiling. Shortly after, a similar message appeared on the X account of Prince William and Princess Kate. This unexpected act was widely commented on. Indeed, the birthdays of non-working members of the royal family generally do not receive public attention.
Tensions between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family are not new. In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced their withdrawal from their royal duties, citing media pressure and concerns about their family’s security. A few months later, they settled in California, putting physical and symbolic distance between themselves and Buckingham Palace.
The peak of these tensions was the publication in 2023 of Harry’s memoir, Spare. In that book, the prince harshly criticizes his family, particularly his brother William and his father, Charles III. Those revelations deepened an already existing rift within the royal family.
The last public appearance of the two brothers was in September 2022, at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Although they were present together, they scarcely spoke, visibly marking the distance between them now. Since then, opportunities for rapprochement have remained rare.
The birthday wishes sent to Harry on September 15 were seen by many as a possible gesture of outreach. Some even view it as an opportunity for reconciliation. British media have been speculating for months about a possible return of the royal couple to the United Kingdom. However, nothing has been confirmed so far. According to some sources, Harry and Meghan were reportedly invited to spend Christmas in England with the family on his mother Diana’s side. That would mark Meghan’s first trip to the UK since the queen’s funeral.
However, obstacles remain. Harry continues to stress his concerns about security. This major issue partly motivated his departure from the United Kingdom. In addition, the prince has committed to several business projects in the United States. These initiatives seem to indicate that he is not considering an imminent return to the royal family.
Despite this, recent polls show a clear improvement in Harry’s image in the UK. One third of Britons now say they are in favor of a permanent return of the prince to his royal duties. This is a notable increase compared with previous months.
If the royal family reached out on this birthday, it remains to be seen whether Harry and Meghan will accept a genuine reconciliation. For now, Harry is enjoying his life in California. He recently told the BBC that he was "excited at 40." This marks a clear break from the period of anxiety he had gone through ten years earlier. For the moment, this gesture could be the first step toward easing tensions after years of strain.